System, method, and apparatus for managing wastewater treatment installation

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for managing a residential wastewater treatment system includes an in situ control unit that monitors an individual system. The control unit provides local control and alarms, and also sends status reports and/or alarms to a remote monitoring center via a telemetry device. The remote monitoring center makes information concerning the individual system available through a website.

This application is a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No.12/491,713, filed Jun. 25, 2009, which is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 11/584,516, filed Oct. 23, 2006.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a system, method, and apparatus for managing aresidential wastewater treatment system.

The apparatus of the invention includes a control and monitoring unitthat includes a variety of different sensor inputs and circuitryenabling the unit to be adapted to a variety of different treatmentinstallation configurations. A telemetry device is included to provideautomatic notification to a remote monitoring center of the need forservice, and regulatory monitoring, but with provision for delayednotification to allow for self-correction of a condition and avoidun-necessary service calls. The sensor circuitry detects open circuitsas well as overcurrents, is temperature insensitive, and includesprogrammable trip points and alarm levels for optimal installationflexibility and user convenience.

The system of the invention includes a plurality of monitoring andcontrol units for respective individual decentralized advancedwastewater treatment installations which are linked to a remotemonitoring station. The individual monitoring and control units mayinclude the features described above, although the system of theinvention may also be applied to other monitoring or control units.Monitoring data sent to the remote monitoring station affords access toinformation provided by the control units as well as account managementfunctions. The account management functions include a consolidatedbilling function that bills owners of individual installations formonitoring and/or service costs in a way that facilitates payment tomultiple entities, such a distributor and/or repair service provider, amonitoring service that notifies the distributor or service providershould an alarm condition occur, and an administrator.

The method of the invention also involves monitoring and control ofindividual wastewater treatment installations, and may include the stepsof monitoring for conditions that require service, providing a localalarm and waiting for the condition to be resolved without a servicecall, using the telemetry device to notify a monitoring service if thecondition persists, and initiating a service call as necessary. Inaddition, the method of the invention may include steps associated withthe above-described consolidated billing function.

2. Description of Related Art

A conventional wastewater disposal system supplies the wastewater to adrain field that settles out solids and minimally treats the wastewater.In many cases, however, insufficient space or porous soil is availableto support the conventional disposal system, in which case some sort ofwastewater treatment is required. Such wastewater treatment systems usecomponents such as aerators to force air into the wastewater to supportaerobic sewage-digesting bacteria, and/or pumps to move the wastewaterthrough filters, pretreatment tanks, surge chambers, baffles, and thelike, before disposing of the treated wastewater. A wide variety of suchadvanced wastewater treatment systems are available from differentmanufacturers.

A problem with advanced systems is that they are used by owners who lackthe knowledge, ability, or desire to properly maintain the system.Components of the system can malfunction, presenting serious health andenvironmental hazards, without the owner even being aware that amalfunction has occurred. As a result, monitoring and regularmaintenance is critical. Despite the potential advantages of aerobic orother advanced treatment methods, including less groundwater pollutionthan conventional septic tanks, and enabling development of sites thatare too small to support a conventional drain field, many localitieshave simply prohibited the systems. Others subject advanced systems toburdensome regulatory requirements, increasing costs and inconvenience.Aerobic systems may allow a site to be developed that could nototherwise support a conventional septic system.

In order to overcome these problems, NSF and ANSI have proposed astandard, known as NSF/ANSI Standard 40, that provides detailedspecifications for residential wastewater treatment systems, includingcalls for regular maintenance as well as monitoring to ensure compliancewith treatment standards. A number of systems have been developed tomeet this standard, with the monitoring and compliance portion of thestandard being met by using the Internet to monitor individual units.

An example of a wastewater treatment installation designed to complywith NSF/ANSI standard 40 is offered by Orenco Systems, Inc. The OrencoSystems wastewater treatment installation includes a control andmonitoring panel, described at www_([.])vericomm_([.])net, thatautomatically notifies a remote monitoring center of alarm conditionsvia the Internet. When a malfunction is detected, the VeriComm controlpanel immediately issues an alert, resulting in the remote monitorscheduling a service call. The homeowner can access control functionsand clear alarms, but only through the website operated by the remotemonitor.

Other wastewater treatment installations that include remote monitoringare disclosed in U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2002/0143596 (Carmody),and 2004/0019511, 2005/0021359, and 2005/00230455 (all to McKinney). Ingeneral, these publications focus on the monitoring and regulatorycompliance aspect of the systems, and in particular on notification ofservice providers of the need for service, and reporting of servicecalls/conditions. The Carmody publication, for example, concernsassignment of service providers and reporting of service calls, whilethe McKinney publication adds automatic monitoring not only of thetreatment system, but also service personnel visiting the system. Ageneral listing of treatment units that comply with Product Standard 40is found atwww_([.])nsf_([.])org/certified/wastewater/Listings_([.])asp?TradeName=&Standard=40.

There are several problems with conventional Product Standard 40compliant monitoring systems:

-   -   First, most are only capable of being used in connection with a        specific system, and cannot be retrofitted onto existing        systems, or adapted to different equipment configurations.    -   Second, conventional remote monitoring systems do not allow        self-correction of conditions that trigger an alarm, leading to        wasted service calls and/or an extended waits to resolve        problems. For example, an overcurrent condition may be caused by        debris on the aerator shaft, which necessitates service, but on        the other hand may also be the result of high water in the        treatment system. The high water creates an additional drag on        the aerator, increasing the operating current. This problem may        be caused by a short term hydraulic flow surge such as emptying        a bath tub, which is a very temporary condition that resolves        itself and does not significantly affect the treatment process.        If the condition simply resolves itself without intervention,        then an automatic service call may not be necessary. The Orenco,        Carmody, and McKinney systems cited above appear to initiate a        call-out immediately upon detecting a problem, which can result        in nuisance calls where the condition is temporary and allowing        it to clear itself does not significantly affect the treatment        process.    -   Third, while many monitoring systems check for overcurrents        resulting from excessive load on a system component motor, such        as an aerator or pump motor, prior systems do not check for        undercurrents at the control panel, which is indicative of an        open circuit condition. This could be caused by a broken wire,        loose or corroded wire or a junction not making good contact, or        any number of malfunctioning electrical components. It could        also be caused by an owner or service provider leaving a unit        unplugged. The conventional failure to monitor open circuit        conditions or undercurrents means that it is possible for        potentially serious system or component failures to go        unreported.    -   Fourth, present control panels do not allow for multiple        overload/trip points for overcurrent conditions. Instead,        current panels utilize a circuit breaker or motor starter type        device which establishes a trip point based on a specified        amount of current received for a specified period of time. These        may not be optimum time/trip points for a particular aerator or        pump motor, and in addition are subject to temperature changes.        It would be desirable to be able to adjust the trip point to a        particular system, to establish multiple trip points for        different alarm levels, and to enable compensation for        temperature (or to make the circuit breaker/alarm circuit        temperature insensitive). For example, a very high current might        require an alarm condition within a very short time, while a        moderately high current could justify a longer wait before        triggering the alarm.    -   Finally, there is the problem that once the service contract        required by Standard 40 and/or other regulations expires, it is        difficult to get consumers to renew the contract or sign with        another service provider, due to the inconvenience of having to        deal with multiple parties having different signing procedures        and billing systems. The service provider may, for example, be a        small local company. Consumers resent having to pay the service        provider and also a monitoring service, or even for paying for        “sewage” treatment in the first place, or may simply neglect to        sign with one or the other. Conversely, it is difficult for the        small service provider to collect regular payments. These        problems can be alleviated by providing a centralized billing        arrangement that is simple for the consumer, and that        consolidates all payments into a single invoice. On the other        hand, if a consumer decides not to renew a monitoring contract,        it should be possible to decommission the control panel so that        it functions as a stand-alone control panel with local alarms        but no remote monitoring.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly a first objective of the invention to provide anapparatus and system for, and a method of controlling a wastewatertreatment installation that overcomes the above-described limitations ofconventional wastewater treatment systems.

It is a second objective of the invention to provide an apparatus forcontrolling a wastewater treatment installation that is modular innature and/or easily adaptable to different treatment installationconfigurations, and/or that is capable of being retrofitted onto avariety of existing wastewater treatment system configurations.

It is a third objective of the invention to provide an apparatus,system, and method for controlling a wastewater treatment installationthat includes remote monitoring and automated notification of the needfor service, but that also provides for delayed notification of an alarmcondition to allow for self-correction of the condition, in order toavoid unnecessary service calls.

It is a fourth objective of the invention to provide an apparatus andsystem for control and monitoring of a wastewater treatment installationthat is capable of detecting open circuits or undercurrents anywhere inthe installation.

It is a fifth objective of the invention to provide an apparatus andsystem for control and monitoring of a wastewater treatment installationthat provides different trip points and/or alarm levels, therebyenabling the system to distinguish between different levels of urgencyand also to enable adaptation of the apparatus to different types ofinstallation, and further that is temperature insensitive.

It is a sixth objective of the invention to provide a system and methodof monitoring a wastewater treatment installation that provides the userwith a single consolidated billing arrangement that facilitates paymentby an owner of the installation while distributing the payment to amonitoring service, service provider or distributor, and administrator.

It is a seventh objective of the invention to provide an apparatus forcontrol of a wastewater treatment installation that provides for remotemonitoring following installation for a predetermined period, and remotedecommissioning and stand-alone operation if a monitoring contract isnot renewed or paid for following the predetermined period.

These objectives are accomplished, in accordance with the principles ofa preferred embodiment of the invention, by providing control andmonitoring units (hereinafter control units) for individual wastewatertreatment systems that are designed to be installed in a residence orother building for monitoring and controlling an individual wastewatertreatment system such as, but not limited to, a NSF/ANSI Standard 40residential waste treatment installation, and that contains or isconnected to circuitry for carrying out various monitoring and controlfunctions, including the generation of alarms as necessary, as well asremote communications with a central office. The central officemaintains a website for accessing information received from the controlunit.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the control unit is amicroprocessor based platform that is programmed to control wastetreatment equipment according to programmed run cycles and either anadjustable or non-adjustable clock. An adjustable clock can be used toprovide a minimum run time for the equipment, while a non-adjustableclock can be used to control fixed on/off cycles. The equipment may bein the form of an aerator or any other equipment, such as a pump, thatrequires monitoring and control. In addition, the control centerincludes various alarm indicators responsive to monitoring anddiagnostic circuitry/programming.

In order to operate the control unit, the control unit includes aninterface panel featuring a time clock adjusting knob, a reset button,and various visual indicators including a power light for indicatingwhether the unit is being supplied with power, a main alarm light forindicating system malfunctions, a phone light to indicate whether a callis being made from the unit using the telemetry device, an equipmentstatus indicator light, and auxiliary inputs.

The interface panel of the control unit is arranged to be situatedwithin a sealed housing accessible through an access door. Aweatherproof lens may be provided in the access door so that the alarmlight is visible even when the door is closed and latched. In addition,the reset button may be made accessible through the closed door byextending it through an opening and boot made of a weatherproofresilient material. When an alarm condition occurs, momentarily pressingthe reset button will re-energize the operating circuit and cause themicro-processor to attempt to restart the malfunctioning equipment. Ifthe alarm condition continues, an audible alarm is activated andtelemetry circuitry within the unit notifies a remote monitoring centerof the specific alarm condition. If the audible alarm has beenactivated, pressing the reset button silences the audible alarm for apredetermined period, such as 48 hours, while the visual alarm remainsactive.

The control unit includes a current sensing circuit which constantlymonitors equipment operating current when the equipment is programmed tobe running. If the operating current is above or below the parametersestablished for normal operation, the alarm circuit is activated.

In addition, the control unit includes a plurality of auxiliary inputsfor monitoring accessory equipment as part of the complete wastewatertreatment system. Preferably, the auxiliary alarm inputs are configuredfor either a low voltage circuit, a high voltage circuit, normally openrelay contacts and/or normally closed relay contacts.

The control unit monitors all wastewater treatment systems and auxiliaryequipment operating conditions. In the event that the current sensingcircuit indicates a sustained high current condition, low currentcondition, or open motor condition, power to the malfunctioningequipment is interrupted and the visual alarm is activated. The controlcenter attempts to automatically restart the equipment at intervals fora predetermined period. Manually pressing the reset button also attemptsa restart. If the equipment successfully restarts any time during thetwo hour period, the visual alarm deactivates and the aerator returns toa normal operation.

If the equipment does not return to normal operation, or another faultis found, the telemetry system of the control unit communicates with aremote monitoring center, for example, over a standard residentialtelephone line, and transmits the data to the remote monitoring center.The center includes diagnostic software or personnel for allowingidentification and diagnosis of any alarm condition in the individualtreatment system or accessory equipment connected to the auxiliaryinputs. For example, the remote control center may detect excessive loadon a component motor, a high water condition, or an open circuitanywhere in the control unit, equipment circuitry, or connectingcables/wires. This diagnosis is then used as the basis for scheduling ofservice and generation of reports to be posted on the website andaccessible by interested parties with proper authorization.

The invention also provides a number of improved telemetry features,including the ability to sense whether the telephone system at eachindividual location utilizes “pulse” or DTMF technology, disconnectionof a call when the line is being used and resumption of the call afterthe line is free, and repeated dial out and delivery of alarms until aperson physically goes to the site and resets the panel. The callinterruption and requirement for physical reset features are believed tobe unique, at least in the context of telemetry associated withwastewater treatment control, to the panel of the preferred embodiment.The former feature has the advantage of not tying up the telephone linein case an overriding emergency is occurring, while the former ensuresthat an alarm condition will be adequately checked out. The Vericommpanel described above has periodically repeating alarms, but they can beremotely turned off via the website without visiting the panel.

The invention also provides a unique method for collecting anddistributing fees from the owners of onsite treatment installations to aweb-based remote monitoring service, an administrator, the distributorof the onsite treatment equipment used in the installation, and/or amaintenance/repair service provider. The service provider may be aseparate entity from the distributor or may be part of the distributor'soffered services.

The NSF/ANSI Standard 40 requires that service be included by themanufacturer/distributor for the first two years, and an ongoing servicepolicy offered that provides for periodic inspection and maintenanceoffered thereafter. The present invention facilitates renewal byproviding the owner with a single, convenient payment that not onlycovers the distributor providing services/maintenance or a separateservice provider, but also a monitoring service that would beresponsible for making sure that the service provider is notified shouldan alarm condition occur or should a periodic status call not bereceived, and that has all data posted to a website for viewing by theadministrator, the service provider and a regulatory body. In addition,the single payment covers administration costs through fees to theadministrator.

The payment/administration method of the invention results in increasedrenewal of service contracts, protecting health and the environment, andspares the distributor of the burden of invoicing and collecting feesdirectly from owners, and distributing fees to the monitoring serviceand administrator. In addition, it enables the distributor to establishthe price and amount of profit for providing the monitoring serviceincluded with routine maintenance. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that this payment method could also be applied to maintenanceon demand in the absence of an extended service contract, to septictanks and other types of onsite systems with different servicerequirements, and to systems other than aerobic treatment units, forthose that utilize pump stations.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the main user interface panel of a controlunit constructed in accordance with the principles of a preferredembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the control unit with a closed accessdoor through which an alarm light is visible and an access buttonextends.

FIG. 3 is a screen shot of a webpage through which account informationand reports on a particular system may be accessed.

FIG. 4 is a schematic circuit diagram of a microprocessor-based controlinput and alarm circuit for the preferred control unit shown in FIGS. 1and 2.

FIG. 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of an aerator motor control andcurrent-sensing circuit for the preferred control unit.

FIG. 6 is a schematic circuit diagram of an auxiliary voltage inputcircuit for the preferred control unit.

FIG. 7 is a schematic circuit diagram of an auxiliary relay inputcircuit for the preferred control unit.

FIG. 8 is a schematic circuit diagram of an auxiliary input logicinterface for the preferred control unit.

FIG. 9 is a schematic circuit diagram of a modem circuit for thepreferred control unit.

FIG. 10 is a schematic circuit diagram of a telephone line connector andfiltering circuitry for the preferred control unit.

FIG. 11 is a schematic circuit diagram of a phone line control IC andDAA circuit for the preferred control unit.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating a preferred payment system andmethod.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is a front view of the main user interface panel of a controlcenter or control unit 100 constructed in accordance with the principlesof a preferred embodiment of the invention. FIG. 2 is a front view ofthe control unit with a closed access door 118. A reset button 119extends through the door and an alarm light is visible through a windowor lens 120 provided in the door.

Control unit 100 is designed to be installed in or in the vicinity of aresidence or other building for monitoring and controlling an individualwastewater treatment system such as a residential septic tank system. Aswill be described below, control unit 100 contains or is connected tocircuitry for carrying out various monitoring and control functions andto provide alarms, and includes a built in telemetry device forcommunicating with a central office. Information received from thecontrol unit 100 may be accessed through a website, a screen shot ofwhich is illustrated in FIG. 3, the website optionally being maintainedby the central office or another party to which the central officeforwards the information.

Control unit 100 is a microprocessor based platform that is programmedto control waste treatment plant equipment (not shown) according toprogrammed run cycles and either an adjustable or non-adjustable clock.An adjustable clock can be used to provide a minimum component run time,while a non-adjustable clock can be used to control fixed on/off cycles.In either case, the microprocessor controls the various alarm indicatorsresponsive to monitoring and diagnostic circuitry and internalprogramming.

In the illustrated example, the wastewater treatment component is, byway of example, an aerator, although those skilled in the art willappreciate that the apparatus of the invention may be adapted to controlequipment other than aerators, such as pumps, and to be used in wastetreatment installations that do not require an aerator.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a control unit interface panel112 includes a time clock knob 113 for adjusting the time clock, a powerlight 114 for indicating whether the unit is being supplied with power,a main alarm light 115 for indicating system malfunctions, a phone light116 to indicate whether a call is being made from the unit using atelemetry device, an aerator status indicator light 117, the resetbutton 119, auxiliary input lights 121-123 with optional label pads124-126, and a power switch 127.

Panel 112 is arranged to be situated within the housing of the controlunit 100 and is, as noted above, covered by access door 118 illustratedin FIG. 2. A weatherproof lens 120 is preferably provided in the accessdoor 118 so that the alarm light 115 is visible even when the door 118is closed and latched. In addition, the reset button 119 may be madeaccessible through the closed door, as shown in FIG. 2, by extending itthrough an opening and covering it with a boot 119′ made of aweatherproof resilient material such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Duringan aerator alarm condition, momentarily pressing the reset button 119through the boot 119′ re-energizes the operating circuit and causes amicro-processor to attempt to restart the aerator. If the alarmcondition continues, an audible alarm is activated and telemetrycircuitry within the control unit 100, described in more detail below,notifies a remote monitoring center of the specific alarm condition. Ifthe audible alarm has been activated, pressing the reset button 119silences the audible alarm for a predetermined period, such as 48 hours,while the visual alarm light 115 remains illuminated.

The control unit includes a current sensing circuit, described in detailbelow, which constantly monitors aerator operating current when theaerator is programmed to be running and compares the current withreference values or set points. The set points are established byprogramming and therefore may be varied to adapt the control unit todifferent equipment. If the aerator operating current is above or belowthe parameters established for normal aerator operation, the alarmcircuit is activated. The sensing circuit is preferably insensitive tochanges in ambient temperature, and accurate to within 5% of the designparameters when operated in ambient temperatures from −20° to 160°Fahrenheit.

The control center 100 also contains a plurality of auxiliary inputs formonitoring accessory equipment as part of the complete wastewatertreatment system. In the preferred embodiment, as explained in moredetail below, the number of auxiliary inputs is three, and the threeauxiliary alarm inputs are configured for either a low voltage (5-24VAC/DC) circuit, a high voltage (120 VAC) circuit, normally open relaycontacts and/or normally closed relay contacts. Since the auxiliaryinputs can be used with a variety of inputs, label pads 124-126 areprovided to facilitate individual labeling of the correspondingindicator lights 121-123.

The control unit 100 monitors all wastewater treatment systems andauxiliary equipment operating conditions. In the event a current sensingcircuit, described hereinafter, indicates a sustained high currentcondition, low current condition, or open motor condition, power to theaerator is interrupted and the visual alarm light 115 activates. Sincethe abnormal condition could be temporary or correctable by the owner,power may be restored upon manually pressing the reset button 119, thecontrol center attempts to automatically restart the aerator at fiveminute intervals repeating up to 24 times for a period of two hours. Ifthe aerator successfully restarts any time during the two hour period,the visual alarm light 115 deactivates and the aerator returns to anormal operation. In the event the restart attempts are unsuccessful,the audible alarm activates and the telemetry system calls the remotemonitoring center and provides a communication describing the specificcondition indicated. This notification may be repeated every 48 hoursuntil the problem has been corrected. The specific alarm condition isimmediately posted to a secure monitoring website represented by thewebpage illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 4 shows a microprocessor control input and alarm circuit for use inthe control unit 100 of the preferred embodiment. The time clock knob113 shown in FIG. 1 operates a potentiometer 10 configured as anadjustable voltage divider connected to port 0, bit 1 pin ofmicroprocessor 12 via resistor R26 and capacitor C25, which togetherform an electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise filter 11. As the timeclock knob 113 is rotated in the clockwise direction, the output voltagepresented to the microprocessor 12 input pin 2 increases from 0V to3.3V. Pin 2 of the microprocessor 12 is configured an analog input. Themicroprocessor firmware reads the input voltage and sets the run time ofthe aerator motor proportional to the voltage measured. The minimum runtime is 50% of the total cycle time of 60 minutes and the maximum runtime is 100% of the total cycle time.

As illustrated, microprocessor 12 may be a C8051F300 U5 microprocessor,which is commercially available. It will be understood, however, thatthe invention is not limited to a particular microprocessor ormicro-controller, or any other electrical or electronic componentidentified herein by model number, and that the associated input andoutput circuitry can be varied as necessary to support the choice ofmicroprocessor.

Returning to the example shown in FIG. 4, the microprocessor 12 runs theaerator motor in response to the run time calculations made by firmwarein the microprocessor. To turn the motor on, microprocessor 12 sets theoutput voltage at port 0, bit 0 to a logic high of approximately 3.3V.To turn the motor off, the output at port 0 bit 0 is driven to a logiclow of close to 0V. When the output of port 0 bit 0 is driven high,transistor 18 is turned on and allows current to flow through the relaycoil 14 of FIG. 5, which is connected to transistor 18 via the signallabeled “RELAY.” This in turn causes the relay to energize and close thenormally open contacts between pin 4 of the relay and points 1 and 6.Pin 4 of the relay is connected to the switched side of line L1. Pins 1and 6 of the relay are connected through current sensing transformer 15to the motor via jumper or power connector JH1 pin 3. Current flows fromline L1 through relay coil 14 and transformer 15 and out to the motor.When the output of port 0 bit 0 of the microprocessor is driven low,transistor 18 is turned off and current is not permitted to flow throughthe relay coil 14. This causes the relay coil 14 to de-energize and openthe normally open contacts between pin 4 of the relay and pints 1 and 6of the relay, which interrupts the motor current and stops the motor.

FIG. 4 also shows an alarm output stage, which provides the primarymeans of communication to the user of the existence of an alarmcondition. The visual alarm 115 described above in connection with FIG.1 may be, but is not limited to, an ultra-bright LED 37. The presence ofan alarm condition is indicated by flashing of the LED. The flashpattern is controlled by the microprocessor 12 to indicate various alarmcodes to aid the user in determining the cause of the alarm or othertype of error, such as an under current alarm or phone line error. Themicro-controller drives the output to a logic high level when an alarmcondition is present, which turns on transistor 38 and allows current toflow through the ultra-bright LED 37.

The preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4 also includes an audibleindicator in the form of a piezoelectric transducer 39. The port 0 bit 7pin of microprocessor 12 is configured as an output. The microprocessordrives this output to a logic high level when an alarm condition ispresent. The logic high level turns on transistor 40 and allows currentto flow through the piezoelectric transducer 39.

The reset button 119 is a momentary contact, normally open, push buttonswitch, illustrated as switch 41 in FIG. 4. It is available to the userfor various functions such as to clear or silence an alarm condition orto cause the microprocessor 12 to retry starting the motor and to abortcall out attempts.

When switch 41 is open, resistor 42 pulls up pins 1 and 2 of the switchto a logic high level. This voltage is filtered by the combination ofresistor 43 and capacitor 44 and are connected to the microprocessor 12via port 0 pin 3, which is configured as a digital input. When switch 41is pressed, pins 1 and 2 of the switch are connected to ground. Thisforces the voltage at the pins to a logic low level. Themicro-controller reads this voltage and makes decisions based on thestate of this voltage. Alarms can be cleared based on this signaltransitioning to a logic low state. The modem can be enabled or disabledbased on the length of time this switch is held in the closed position,and an alarm test mode may be initiated based on the length of time theswitch is held in the closed position.

FIG. 5 shows the current sensing circuitry used by the apparatus of thepreferred embodiment. This stage is used by the microprocessor 12 todetermine the condition of the aerator or other component motor and makealarm decisions based on the current measured. As described above, motorcurrent flows through relay 14 and transformer 15. Transformer 15 is acurrent sensing transformer, which generates a small current through itsoutput coil that is proportional to the large current flowing throughthe input coil. Resistor 16 across the output coil transforms thiscurrent into a voltage proportional to the motor current.

Since the current is AC and therefore flows in both directions, theoutput voltage of the transformer will be positive half the time andnegative half of the time. Zener diode 17 prohibits the voltage duringthe negative half cycle from becoming more negative than about −0/7V toprotect the micro-controller. The Zener diode 17 also prevents thepositive voltage from becoming more positive than about 4.3V. Thisvoltage is connected through resistor 13 to port 0 bit 6 of themicroprocessor 12, which is configured as an analog input.

The microprocessor 12 reads the voltage at port 0 bit 6 and calculatesthe peak current flowing through the motor. Since the current issinusoidal with the negative half cycles clamped at −0.7V by the Zenerdiode 17, the microprocessor 12 must read this input multiple times persecond and use the highest value measured over that time period todetermine the peak current. Since the current alarm trip points aredefined as root mean squared (RMS) values, the microprocessor 12 usestrip points based on the relationship between peak values and RMS valuesof a sinusoidal signal. For a purely sinusoidal signal, the RMS valuewill be equal to the peak value divided by the square root of two. Thefirmware in the microprocessor 12 can generate an alarm based on thevalue of the current and the length of time that the current is below alow current value or above a high current value.

The auxiliary alarm input stage illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 monitorsexternally connected alarm circuitry. This stage provides the capabilityto connect such devices as, by way of example and not limitation,effluent pumps, fluid level floats, disinfection system alarms, relaysor other devices to the microprocessor 12. The microprocessor 12 willgenerate an alarm condition in response to any of the three auxiliaryalarm inputs becoming active.

Each of the three auxiliary input circuits are identical and thereforeonly one such circuit will be described in detail. It will of course beappreciated that the number of auxiliary circuits may be more or lessthan three, and that the auxiliary circuits may also be omitted.

Each auxiliary circuit allows one of two types of inputs to be used. Thetwo types of inputs are voltage inputs and relay contacts. A separateset of input connections are provided for each of these types of inputs.

Each auxiliary input circuit preferably also includes two jumpers toconfigure the circuitry for the voltage level to be applied and to allowflexibility in the polarity of the input signal applied, so that thealarm can be sounded when voltage is applied or removed, or when therelay is open or closed, depending on the nature of the auxiliarydevice.

As shown in FIG. 6, external voltage inputs may be applied to theconnection points 19 and 20. The applied voltage may be AC or DC. When aDC voltage is applied, the positive terminal is terminal 19 and thenegative terminal is terminal 20. Diodes 21 and 22 provide reversepolarity protection and half wave rectification of AC signals, and blockany negative signals so that only the positive half of an AC signal ispresented to the rest of the circuitry. For an AC signal, the voltageseen by the input circuitry will be 0V half of the time and the positivehalf of the AC signal the other half of the time. Resistors 23-25provide current limiting to the opto-isolator 26, while diode 27provides over voltage protection to the opto-isolator 26. Opto-isolator26 provides isolation of the input voltage from the rest of thecircuitry.

A jumper placed on jumper header 28 allows a wide range of inputvoltages to be applied to the input terminals. For 115VAC signals, byway of example and not limitation, the jumper is left off the jumperheader or can be placed across pins 1 and 2 of the jumper. In thisposition, resistor 23 is left in the circuit and the current is limitedto a reasonable amount for the opto-isolator. For voltages between 5VAC/DC and 24V AC or DC, the jumper is placed across pins 2 and 3 ofjumper 28. In this position resistor 23 is bypassed so as to permitenough current to flow through the opto-isolator to allow the output toturn on. When the opto-isolator 26 turns on, the output terminal pin 4thereof changes from a logic high state to a logic low state.

As shown in FIG. 7, relay contacts may be connected to themicroprocessor 12 via connection points 29 and 29′. When the relaycontact closes, current will flow from the 15V supply through diode 30,resistor 31, the relay contacts, and resistor 32 to ground. This currentwill cause the positive input terminal of a comparator 33 to drop belowthe voltage reference applied to negative input terminal of thecomparator. This in turn causes the output terminal of the comparator tochange from a logic high state to a logic low state. It will beappreciated that the relay inherently provides isolation to protect themicroprocessor.

As shown in FIG. 8, the voltage input and the relay input both connectto the same logic interface circuitry. The logic interface circuitryincludes an exclusive OR gate 34. Its output terminal pin is driven to alogic high state anytime the input terminal pins are at different logiclevels. Since the voltage input and the relay input are each able todrive the logic level of the exclusive OR gate input terminal pin, theXOR gate 34 output will be driven high anytime the voltage or relayinput circuitry causes the input pins of the XOR gate 34 to be at adifferent logic state. The logic level of input pin 2 of the XOR gate 34is determined by the position of the jumper placed on jumper header 35.When the jumper is left off or placed across pins 1 and 2 of jumperheader 35, pin 1 of the XOR gate 34 is pulled up to a logic high level.When the jumper is placed across pins 2 and 3 of jumper header 35, pin 1of the XOR gate 34 is pulled down to a logic low level. In this mannerthe system may be configured to respond to active high or active lowvoltage inputs and to normally open or normally close the relay inputs.When the input logic levels of the XOR gate 34 do not match each other,the output of the XOR gate is driven high. This pin is connected to aninput pin of a modem chip 45 shown in FIG. 9 so as to be read by thefirmware of the modem chip as an indication of an auxiliary alarm.Driving the output of the XOR gate 34 to a high state also turns ontransistor 35, which allows current to flow through the auxiliary alarmindicator LED36, corresponding to one of lights 121-123 in FIG. 1,providing a visual indication of an alarm condition on either thevoltage input or the relay input.

The telemetry system of the preferred embodiment communicates betweenthe control unit and the remote monitoring center/website provider via astandard residential telephone line, although it is also within thescope of the invention to use other communication media, such as awireless telephone network or satellite communication system. Thetelemetry system automatically senses whether the residential telephoneservice is a pulse or tone service and adjusts accordingly. If theresidential telephone service is in use, the telemetry system continuesto check the line use until a clear line is available and delivers theappropriate message to the remote monitoring center. If the telemetrysystem is in the process of communicating with the remote monitoringcenter, and the residential telephone is picked up, the telemetry systempreferably disconnects until the line is again available. Uponconfirmation by remote monitoring center that all sent data has beenreceived, the control unit also disconnects.

The circuitry for the telemetry stage is illustrated in FIGS. 9-11. Thisstage is made up of two main circuits. The first is a modem circuitshown in FIG. 9 and the second is a telephone line control circuitillustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11. The modem circuit utilizes acommercially available modem chip 45 capable of communicating seriallywith the microprocessor 12. Two signal lines are used between the modemchip 45 and the microprocessor 12 for communication, the first line RXD(shown in FIG. 4) being for receiving data, and the second line TXDbeing for transmitting data. These lines are connected to themicroprocessor port 0 bit 5 and port 0 bit 4, respectively. All modemfunctions are initiated by commands sent by the microprocessor 12 viathe TXD line. The microprocessor sets up the registers within the modemchip 45 and initiates all communications to the phone line circuitry.

In order to monitor the auxiliary inputs described earlier, themicroprocessor 12 reads a register within the modem chip 45 and thestatus of the modem 45 general purpose input/output (GPIO) bits 1, 2,and 3 are communicated back to the microprocessor 12. In order to changethe state of two LEDs 48 and 49 (illustrated in FIG. 9) connected to themodem chip 45, which correspond to phone light 116 and aerator statusindicator light 117 shown in FIG. 1, the microprocessor 12 writes datato a register within the modem chip. This register sets the GPIO bits 4and 5 to a logic low level or a logic high level. Setting an output to alogic high level turns on transistor 46 or 47 connected to therespective LED 48 and 49 to turn the LED on. The aerator alarm LED 49 isilluminated to indicate to the user that the cause of an alarm is anaerator under current or over current state. The phone indicator LED 48is illuminated to indicate that the system is currently accessing thetelephone line. Communication to the telephone line control circuitry isachieved by the modem 45 ports C1A and C2A. Data is sent serially viathese two pins. Isolation from the phone circuitry is achieved byisolation capacitors 50 and 51.

The telephone line control circuit shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 is made upof a telephone line control integrated circuit 52 and various discretecomponents interfacing directly with the telephone line. The telephoneline control integrated circuit 52 may be, by way of example and notlimitation, a Silicon Labs application specific IC model SI3010. Thetelephone line is accessed via connector 53. Voltage surges on Tip andRing are suppressed by transient voltage suppressor 54. Noise isfiltered by the combination of ferrites L1-L4 and capacitors C4 and C5which form a low pass Pi filter. Signals sent out to the phone line orreceived from the phone line are rectified by a diode bridge 56. Signalssent out or received on the phone line are conditioned by anFCC-approved data access arrangement (DAA) design represented by block57. The DAA consists of the analog circuits that interface to the phoneline's higher voltages per FCC requirements. Busy, off hook, andintrusion detection functions are handled by monitoring the voltageacross the Tip and Ring signals. These voltages are fed back to thetelephone line control circuit 52 via resistors 58 and 59.

The control unit may also include DC and AC power circuits. Thesecircuits are well-known and therefore are not described in detailherein.

In case of a service call, the alarm test feature can be used to notifythe remote monitoring center of the service call, at the beginning andend of the service visit. The remote monitoring center provides a timeand date stamped record of the service visit and posts it to thewebsite.

The control unit may also provide status calls at predeterminedintervals, such as 30 days, to indicate normal operation. If such a callis not received, then the service provider may be notified to arrange asite visit.

The control unit preferably also provides diagnostic functions, and inparticular the identification and diagnosis of an alarm condition of theaerator or accessory equipment connected to the auxiliary inputs. Eachalarm condition is identified by a programmed alarm code. Excessive loadon the aerator, a high water condition or a service requirement for thewaste treatment system results in the control unit telemetry systemreporting an over current condition to the monitoring center. When thecontrol unit detects an open electrical circuit anywhere in the controlcenter/aerator circuit, including a broken service wire between thecontrol unit and the aerator, open motor windings within the aerator, oran aerator that has been inadvertently left unplugged. Any situationwhere the diagnostic function measures an open motor condition resultsin the control unit reporting this condition to the remote monitoringcenter. Any of these conditions results in automatic restart attemptswith a predetermined period in order to provide time for a temporarycondition to correct itself. If the condition has not been correctedwithin the predetermined time, the audible alarm is activated andnotification to the remote monitoring center with the specific alarmcode takes place.

The control units of FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-11 may be adapted to communicatewith a remote monitoring center such as monitoring center 212illustrated in FIG. 12, that provides a website represented by thescreen shot of FIG. 3 and a database to manage the information for thewastewater treatment system and auxiliary equipment. The remotemonitoring center receives data transmitted by the control unit andposts it to the database. The website is preferably encrypted andpassword protected such that the database allows only authorizedpersonnel access to information regarding the wastewater treatmentsystem and auxiliary equipment, including general account and systeminformation, operating status, service history, alarm history andservice contract status. Reports can be generated for individual systemsor all systems in a given category, status, and/or geographic area.

The ability to enter the secure website is preferably obtained through aunique user name and password that allows tiered access for systemowners, service providers, licensed distributors or regulatory officialsto access information on systems for which they are responsible.

FIG. 12 illustrates a preferred fee collection and distributing systemand method of use with the embodiments described above. According to thepreferred system and method, a plurality of residential treatmentinstallations 200,201 are connected to a monitoring service 202, whichprovides monitoring services for a fee. Information gathered by themonitoring service is provided to a website 203 for viewing by aregulatory body 204, an administrator 205, a distributor 206, and/or aservice provider 207,208. Reference numeral 207 indicates a serviceprovider that is owned by the distributor while reference numeral 208indicates an independent service provider. Either service provider 207or service provider 208 directly receives notice of an alarm conditionfrom the monitoring service 202, initiating a service call.

According to the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIG. 12, fees arecollected by a third party financial entity 209, which periodicallybills respective owners 210,211 of respective installations 200,201 anddistributes payments received from the owners, either directly by checkor from a debit or credit card servicer 212. The payments aredistributed to each of the entities involved in monitoring and servicingthe installation, including monitoring service 202, administrator 205,service provider 207 via distributor 206, or service provider 208. As aresult, the owner makes one convenient payment, and the variousmonitoring and servicing parties are not required to prepare and sendout invoices or collect fees.

It will be appreciated that by those skilled in the art that any of themonitoring, distribution, administration, or service functions may beprovided in whole or in part by one or more parties, and that paymentsmay be distributed accordingly. In addition, it is to be understood thatwhile FIG. 12 shows “monthly” charges and payments, the invention is notlimited to monthly charges or payments.

Having thus described a preferred embodiment of the invention insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to make and use theinvention, it will nevertheless be appreciated that numerous variationsand modifications of the illustrated embodiment may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention, and it is intended that theinvention not be limited by the above description or accompanyingdrawings, but that it be defined solely in accordance with the appendedclaims.

1. Apparatus for monitoring and controlling an individual wastewatertreatment installation, said individual wastewater treatmentinstallation including a control unit and wastewater treatment equipmentarranged to treat wastewater of a residence or other building, saidequipment subject to equipment malfunctions that affects an ability ofthe equipment to treat the wastewater, said control unit comprisingcircuitry for controlling and monitoring said wastewater treatmentequipment, detecting said equipment malfunctions, and notifying a remotemonitor at a location remote from said individual wastewater treatmentinstallation when said equipment malfunctions, said circuitry includinga microprocessor having at least a first programmable set point and asecond programmable set point, wherein: said detection circuitryincludes circuitry for detecting each of the following conditions: asustained condition in which a current exceeds said first programmableset point to indicate an overcurrent, and a condition in which a currentfalls below said second programmable set point, when said sustainedcondition in which said current exceeds said first programmable setpoint is detected, and also when said condition in which said currentfalls below said second programmable set point is detected, power to theequipment is interrupted and a visual alarm activates, saidmicroprocessor is arranged to activate a telemetry device and notify aremote monitor when said first set point is exceeded, and saidmicroprocessor is also arranged to activate said telemetry device whenthe current falls below said second set point.
 2. Apparatus as claimedin claim 1, wherein said detection circuitry includes multiple trippoints for detecting at least one of said conditions.
 3. Apparatus formonitoring and controlling an individual wastewater treatmentinstallation, said individual wastewater treatment installationincluding a control unit and wastewater treatment equipment arranged totreat wastewater of a residence or other building, said equipmentsubject to equipment malfunctions that affects an ability of theequipment to treat the wastewater, said malfunctions including asustained condition in which a current exceeds a first programmable setpoint and a condition in which a current falls below a secondprogrammable set point, said control unit comprising circuitry forcontrolling and monitoring said wastewater treatment equipment,detecting said equipment malfunctions, and notifying a remote monitor ata location remote from said individual wastewater treatment installationwhen said equipment malfunctions, said circuitry including amicroprocessor having at least said first programmable set point andsaid second programmable set point, wherein: when said sustainedcondition in which said current exceeds said first programmable setpoint is detected, and also when said condition in which said currentfalls below said second programmable set point is detected, power to theequipment is interrupted and a visual alarm activates, themicroprocessor activates said a telemetry device and attempts toautomatically restart the equipment at intervals for a predeterminedperiod.
 4. The control center of claim 3, wherein if the equipmentsuccessfully restarts any time during a predetermined period, the visualalarm deactivates and the equipment returns to a normal operation.